Fringe Binge: Night Sweats Review

Sitting in a warm, dark room with a bunch of strangers, I watched a man clad in black, weave stories of trauma and discomfort into melancholy tapestry. Welcome to Night Sweats, a show built around the internal monologue of an insomniac with a deep seated fear on inadequacy.

Throughout the course of the show, the protagonist ruminates on issues such as mortality, privilege and perception through humour, song and physical theatre. While I admit that I was initially confused by the structure of the piece, the lyricism of the script, and the stage presence of the protagonist (Timothy Green) kept me at the edge of my seat. Choosing to present the story as intertwining vignettes instead of spoon feeding the audience a linear plotline was a bold move and one that reaped rewards in terms of audience engagement. There was laughter and applause aplenty, sometimes when I least expected it.

As a recovering insomniac and a student who is finally nearing the end of their degree, I found Night Sweats to be relatable on many levels. We all aspire to have control over our lives and our environment, to be productive and achieve great things yet many of us will find ourselves frozen in fear at some junction or another. Night Sweats is a dark and delightful reminder that it isn’t always things that go bump in the night that keeps some of us awake. A riveting and almost Lynchian exploration of our deepest fears – a Summer Nights must watch!

Night Sweats is playing at The Blue Room Theatre till Saturday 10th February. Tickets available here.